The Book of Zakah

His statement: “The Book of Zakah.”

Scholars commonly use the heading “book” for categories, “chapter” for types, and “section” for individual issues.

It is well known that zakah is a category distinct from prayer. Thus, under the Book of Prayer, one finds such headings as the Chapter on the Prayer for Rain, the Chapter on the Eclipse Prayer, and the Chapter on Voluntary Prayer, and so forth; these are types.

As for sections, they address individual issues. For example, the witr prayer may be mentioned in the Chapter on Voluntary Prayer, and once its discussion has concluded, the author may say: “Section: The regular sunnah prayers are recommended,” and so on.

Thus, sections are for issues, chapters for types, and books for categories. This is the general rule, although the practice may sometimes vary.

His statement, “The Book of Zakah”: he designated it as a book because it is an independent category.

Zakah is the most important pillar of Islam after prayer. Allah often pairs it with prayer in His Book. It is authentically reported from Imam Ahmad, in one narration from him, that “one who refrains from paying it out of stinginess is a disbeliever, just as one who abandons prayer out of laziness is a disbeliever.”

However, the correct view is that one who withholds it does not disbelieve. Those who declared the one who withholds it out of stinginess to be a disbeliever said that Allah, Most High, says: “But if they repent, establish prayer